Want to get out of that rut: do yoga. Exercise, in general, makes you feel better. All that endorphin stuff is true. But I’m talking yoga here because of the whole mind/body thing. There’s something to that too. So if you’re in a rut or just feeling blah, do some yoga. You just might float out of that class on a cloud and drift around blissfully for a while until reality creeps back in.
Yoga has tons of benefits. The main benefits for me are stress/anxiety reduction, improved mood, relaxation, better sleep. I also like the improved flexibility and strength. For more about yoga and its benefits check out this post from Dr. Axe.
Yoga at Home
There are lots of ways to do yoga at home, many for free! YouTube has some amazing yoga people with free videos. Go check it out.
I might be a little biased, but I’m also a big fan of Beachbody’s yoga videos. With Beachbody On Demand, you can stream the 3-Week Yoga Retreat or check out their Yoga Studio. There are a lot of yoga workouts. There’s also YogaBooty Ballet…I’ve never done it but I remember the infomercial!! Anyone else remembers that?!
Over the last year or so I have taken live yoga classes with several teachers and I have felt pretty confident in class. This is a testament to Beachbody! I have not taken live classes for a long time. Many Beachbody programs include yoga in the calendar. 21 Day Fix and P90X3 come to mind. And many other programs include “recovery” workouts that incorporate yoga poses.
I also remember a Buns of Steel yoga video I loved, lol. However you do it, yoga at home is an inexpensive and convenient option. It’s also a great way to get your feet wet before trying a class with other people.
Yoga at a Studio
I am a big fan of yoga however you get it. But I have found that while I might get the physical benefits of yoga when I do it at home, I get much more of the mind/spirit benefits when I go to a class at a studio.
Yoga classes can be expensive, and it’s not as convenient as downdogging in your living room. But there’s something about doing it away from home, with other people that adds to the experience.
Check out yoga studios near you and look at their schedule of classes. Many studios offer one or two classes a week that are cheaper, and you can just pay as you go.
Sometimes you can find a great yoga class through your town, too. Our town offers adult education programs. They’re inexpensive but offer great stuff. I took a few yoga classes through the town and loved it. You might get 6-8 weeks of classes for around $50.
Never been to a yoga class? Going to one would check off the “do something outside your comfort zone” box, too. That’s one of my next tips! And I get it. Even if you’ve been to yoga classes before, it can be a little intimidating. Once you get in there you’re likely to find a welcoming face.
Finding My Yoga Home
I have been semi-practicing yoga since high school.
Somehow I became obsessed with yoga (a long time before yoga became more mainstream) and somehow I came across the book Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation by Jess Stearn. Which was originally published in 1965 and was falling apart at the seams when I checked it out of the library circa 1989. I still wonder how I found it.
So I kinda sorta did yoga at home on my own. Then I did some VHS yoga videos. Here and there I would take a yoga class. A company I worked for in Manhattan offered yoga at work for a while and I met the most amazing yoga teacher ever. But I still didn’t commit to a practice.
Then I went to that retreat I raved about last fall (see the post about it here) and did some yoga and did a lot of thinking and realized I was missing something in my life. And that something was yoga.
Since then I have checked out a few yoga studios, looking for “the one.” I think I need to commit to a real yoga “practice” at a studio, as part of a yoga community. This is a big part of my “getting out of a rut” plan. And I think I may have found my place!
Yoga and You
I feel like I should launch into a PSA about yoga with that heading 🙂
So, even if you don’t want to “commit to a practice” or go all-in on this yoga stuff, it’s worth looking into doing a little yoga here and there. Even if you do some yoga-inspired stretches at your desk or before bed, add on a short yoga video from YouTube after you exercise, drag a friend to a free yoga class somewhere.
Yoga has so many benefits for your mind, body, and spirit, it’s worth a try. If the mind/spirit part seems too woo-woo for you, do it for the physical benefits. Strength and flexibility are so important! And there are all types of yoga- gentle to crazy-hard. It’s definitely worth exploring.
Do you do yoga? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! You can comment here, email me mary@stayathomefit.com, or visit me on Facebook.
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